The present invention pertains to applicators, and methods of using such applicators, for applying a product. In particular, the present invention is directed to an applicator for the application of a product, such as a cosmetic product or a care product, for example, to the eyelashes, eyebrows, or other types of hair. The invention also relates to an applicator system including the applicator and a receptacle for containing the product to be applied.
European Patent Application EP-A-0 474 934 discloses a brush for applying mascara to eyelashes. The brush includes a circularly-symmetrical cylindrical body and brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush. The brush members have circular cross-sections and are offset relative to one another in the longitudinal direction.
German Patent Application DE-A-2 559 273 also discloses a brush for applying mascara. The brush includes a hollow, circularly-symmetrical cylindrical body and brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush. The brush members have triangular cross-sections. Long sides of the triangular cross-sections are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support.
European Patent Application EP-A-0 204 466 also discloses a brush for applying mascara. The brush has brush members aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support.
French Patent Application FR-A-2 564 712 discloses an applicator having two arrangements of teeth aligned parallel to one another. The teeth have bases with triangular shaped cross-sections. A short side of each triangle shape is parallel to axes of alignment of the teeth. A height of the triangle shape, extending from the opposite vertex, is perpendicular to the axes of alignment.
French Patent Application FR-A-2 748 636 discloses a mascara applicator including thin teeth arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the applicator.
It would be desirable if such known devices could be further improved to be capable of taking up a relatively large quantity of substance and thereby provide satisfactory endurance between refills. It would also be desirable if such devices could be improved to engage hairs, in particular the eyelashes, so as to smooth the substance over their surfaces and to lengthen them.
One aspect of the present invention relates to an applicator for applying a product to at least eyelashes and/or eyebrows. The applicator comprises an application element configured to apply a product to at least the eyelashes and/or eyebrows. The application element comprises a support and at least two rows of teeth. The rows of teeth may be disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support. Each of the rows of teeth comprises at least two teeth extending from the support. The rows of teeth comprise a first row of teeth adjacent to a second row of teeth. The first row of teeth and the second row of teeth may be spaced apart by a first distance. A pair of consecutive teeth of the first row of teeth may be spaced apart by a second distance less than the first distance.
The applicator may have rows of teeth on one side portion of the applicator essentially forming a comb. Alternatively, the applicator may have rows of teeth disposed in various portions around the applicator, essentially forming a brush. For example, the applicator may include one set of rows of teeth disposed on one side of the applicator and another set of teeth rows on an opposite side of the applicator.
In one optional configuration, the distance between any pair of consecutive teeth of any of the at least two rows is less than the distance between the row including the pair and a row adjacent thereto.
In another optional arrangement, each of the teeth extending from the support is arranged in a row disposed (e.g., axis of the row) transversely to the longitudinal axis of the support. The row of teeth may cross the longitudinal axis of the support or may be located on one side thereof.
In one other optional arrangement, an axis of at least one row forms a non-zero acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support. For example, the axis of each of the at least two rows may form a non-zero acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support. This angle formed by each row could be substantially the same.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9caxis of the rowxe2x80x9d refers to the axis along which the teeth in a row are arranged. For example, the axis of the row could be substantially straight or curved. The teeth in the row may be a succession of consecutive teeth.
Optionally, the arrangement of the teeth enables the applicator to take up a quantity of substance that is sufficiently large. The tooth arrangement optionally also enables the teeth to engage hairs, in particular the eyelashes, while the application element is being moved relative thereto, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support. For example, an applicator according to the invention may make it possible to have a relatively large quantity of substance between the teeth while spreading the substance onto the eyelash surface, without the teeth losing their capacity to engage with and curve an eyelash.
In one aspect, base portions of at least one pair of consecutive teeth in at least one row may either contact one another or lack contact with one another. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cbase portionxe2x80x9d refers to the portion of a tooth adjacent to the support (i.e., opposite to the free end portion of the tooth).
One or more of the teeth in the row optionally have an oblong cross-section. There are many different possible shapes for the oblong cross-section of the base. In one possible embodiment, the oblong cross-section may have a substantially rectangular shape. In other examples, the oblong cross-section may be substantially in the shape of an oval, an ellipse, or a triangle.
The oblong cross-section may be angularly positioned in a direction forming a nonzero acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support. As used herein, the xe2x80x9cdirectionxe2x80x9d of the angular positioned oblong cross-section refers to the direction in which a longitudinal axis of the oblong cross-section is arranged. For example, when the oblong cross-section is substantially rectangular shaped, the direction of such a cross-section may correspond to the longitudinal axis parallel to the two longer sides of the rectangular shape. As another example, when the cross-section is substantially in the shape of an ellipse, the direction would correspond to a major axis of the ellipse.
In one embodiment, each of the at least two rows includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end may be aligned along a first axis and the second end may be aligned along a second axis, and wherein the first and second axes may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support. These first and second axes may be on opposites sides of the support.
In another aspect, at least a pair of consecutive teeth in the same row and/or a pair of adjacent teeth from a pair of adjacent rows (e.g., a first tooth from a first row and a second tooth from a second row adjacent to the first) may be mutually overlapping when the application element is observed from the side, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support. Optionally, the overlapping teeth may form a substantially V-shaped notch therebetween, and the notch may be configured such that a hair is capable of being engaged therein. For example, the bottom of the notch may be situated at a non-zero distance from the support.
The profile of the above-mentioned V-shaped notch may converge towards the support. The notch may be configured so that substance present between the teeth may be spread in a satisfactory manner over the surface of the hair engaged in the notch, all the way to the end of the hair.
In another aspect, the rows of teeth may be disposed on the support such that a projection along an axis of the first row does not substantially overlap a projection along an axis of the second row.
In another aspect, the at least two rows of teeth may comprise a first group of rows angularly positioned in a direction parallel to a first axis, and a second group of rows angularly positioned in a direction parallel to a second axis, the second axis not being substantially parallel to the first axis. The first and second axes may be angularly positioned symmetrically relative to one other. The first and second axes may be angularly positioned about a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support. The first group of rows may be formed at a first end of the support and the second group of rows may be formed at a second end of the support.
In another aspect, base portions of the teeth may be arranged along an axis having a shape chosen from a substantially straight shape and a curved shape.
In one embodiment, the base portions may be rectangular in cross-section, and a long side of each rectangular cross-section may be substantially parallel to an axis of the corresponding row.
In another aspect, one or more teeth may have a tapered cross-section extending over at least a portion of the tooth height from adjacent the support toward a tooth free end.
In still another aspect, at least some of the teeth may have a free end portion having a shape chosen from cylindrical, substantially cylindrical, and curved.
In one embodiment, a tuft of bristles may be mounted on the support. For example, the tuft may be along the row of teeth.
Optionally, at least the support and the teeth are an integral, one-piece arrangement. For example, the application element may be formed by molding, die stamping, or any other method of shaping material.
In a further aspect, one or more of the teeth may comprise a gliding agent for improving gliding of the hair on the teeth. The gliding agent may be chosen from polytetrafluoroethylene, graphite, silicones, molybdenum disulfide, and derivatives thereof. The gliding agent could either be a coating on an exterior surface of the teeth or a filler incorporated in plastic material of the teeth. For example, the teeth could be formed by molding plastic material containing the gliding agent. The gliding agent may prevent hair from being gripped too strongly by the teeth, and thereby improve application comfort.
In an even further aspect, the application element may be formed of a material chosen from elastomer, metal, and alloy.
In yet a further aspect, the application element may have a first end and a second end opposite to the first end (e.g., front and rear ends), wherein a number of the teeth between the first end and the second end may range from about 20 to about 50. Alternatively, the number of teeth may range from about 6 to about 50, or from about 10 to about 35, or from about 15 to about 32.
The teeth may be made of either the same material as the support or a different material. The height of the teeth may vary. The height of each of the teeth may range from about 0.5 mm to about 15 mm. Alternatively, the height of each of the teeth may range from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm. Alternatively, the height of the teeth may range from about 7 mm to about 13 mm.
In yet another aspect, at least one of the rows of teeth may comprise teeth having bases offset in alternation, at least in part, on either side of a geometrical separation plane containing the axis of the row.
In one example, the above-mentioned angle formed by the direction of the cross-section and the longitudinal axis of the support and/or the above-mentioned angle between the at least one of the rows and the longitudinal axis of the support is less than or equal to about 45xc2x0.
In one more aspect, the support may have a polygonal cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support, and the application element may further comprise sets of rows of teeth, each on a different main face of the support.
In one optional arrangement, a stem (e.g., wand) may be provided with the application element being on an end of the stem. The stem may extend from a handle element configured in the form of a closure cap for closing a receptacle. The application element may be integrally molded with the stem.
The application element can be disposed on a distal end portion of the stem. The application element may be made more flexible than the stem. For example, the application element may be made of a plastic having greater flexibility than a plastic used to make the stem. Greater comfort may be obtained when using such an applicator.
As an alternative, the stem may be more flexible than the application element. For example, the stem may be made of a plastic that is more flexible than the material used to make the application element. It is possible, for manufacturing reasons, to use a relatively inflexible material to make the application element and to compensate for the inflexibility of the application element at the time of application, using the flexibility of the stem.
The longitudinal axis of the support and the longitudinal axis of the stem may be parallel or form a non-zero angle.
The applicator may be part of a system including a receptacle configured to contain the product. A cosmetic product, such as mascara for example, may be contained in the receptacle. The receptacle may include an opening configured to permit passage of at least a part of the application element into the receptacle. The receptacle may have a wiper configured to remove excess product from the teeth of the application element when the applicator is removed from the receptacle. The wiper may be deformable, and may include a block of open-cell foam or an elastomeric lip, or other similar suitable configurations.
The system also may include a cap disposed on an end of the stem opposite to the end of the stem at which the application element is disposed. The cap may be configured to sealably close the opening of the receptacle.
The application element may be produced by molding plastic as a single piece with the applicator stem and with a sealing member configured to seal the receptacle closed when it is not in use. The sealing member may have a surface shaped to fit in a sealed manner into the neck of the receptacle.
There are many different types of receptacles that could be used with the applicator system. For example, the product could be stored in a tube-like receptacle. This tube may be made of a flexible material which when squeezed can dispense product onto the application element of the applicator device. Other dispensers also can be used to dispense the product onto the application element, such as a pump-type dispenser, for example, and are considered within the scope of the invention.
Alternatively, the receptacle could be configured to hold a solid cake of the product. This solid cake could be moistened in order to enable the applicator device to be loaded with product by placing the application element in contact with the moistened part of the product. Alternatively, the application element could be moistened and then placed in contact with the product to transfer moisture to the product.
When the product is contained in either a dispenser or a cake arrangement, the proximal end of the applicator device may lack a handle or a cap, since the applicator device can be arranged such that it is not stored in the receptacle containing the product or closing off such a receptacle. In such an arrangement, the stem itself can be used as a handle.
Another aspect of the invention includes a method of applying a product to the eyelashes using an applicator or system as described in the preceding paragraphs. The method includes loading a product on at least some of the teeth and placing at least some of the teeth in contact with the eyelashes such that the product coats the eyelashes. The loading may include inserting at least a portion of the applicator into a receptacle containing the product, removing the applicator from the receptacle, and wiping the excess product from the teeth, for example, with a wiper. The loading alternatively may include either dispensing the product from the receptacle onto the teeth or contacting the teeth with a solid cake of product. The solid cake of product may be moistened and the teeth may be placed in contact with the moistened cake of product. In the latter form of loading, the moistening of the product may include either moistening the product and then contacting the teeth with the product or moistening the product with a pre-moistened applicator.
The method may optionally comprise gripping the eyelashes between adjacent teeth.
In one example of a method according to the invention, the product being applied is mascara. If the mascara includes fibers, the method may further include orienting the fibers with the teeth such that the fibers are substantially parallel to the eyelashes as the product is applied.
The applicator of the invention, as described above, may be used for applying a cosmetic product, such as mascara, to the eyelashes. However, the applicator could be used to apply other products to other surfaces. In addition, the applicator according to the present invention could also be used to comb the eyelashes or eyebrows, for example.
The application element and stem could be configured to permit connection and disconnection of the application element from the stem. With such a structural configuration, the method may further comprise connecting the application element to the stem. The method may also comprise selecting the application element from a group of differing application elements.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.